Brexit contingency funds, amounts and allocations: FOI release

Information requested

 

You asked for information regarding Brexit contingency costs including amounts transferred to the Scottish Government from the UK Government, when this was transferred, which departments received the money and a detailed breakdown of what the money has been spent on.

Response

 

1.    The Scottish Government does not receive funds from the UK Government for a specific purpose. The UK Government have allocated £3.75billion in Brexit funding over 2017 to 2020; the Scottish Government have been allocated funds as a consequence of this. The Scottish Government then chooses how to allocate those  funds.

2.    Since 2017-18, the Scottish Government has been allocated £98.6 million in consequentials from the UK government related to Brexit as per the table below.

The Scottish Government is notified by HM Treasury when consequentials will be added to the Scottish Block Grant.

Financial Year	Amount (£m)	Date Notified
2017-18	6.6	24.10.2017
2018-19	37.3	13.03.2018
2019-20	54.7	20.12.2018

In 2017-18, the Scottish Government received around £6.6 million of consequentials very late in the financial year as part of the UK Government Spring Supplementary Estimates. This arose from £250 million of additional UK Departmental spending allocations for EU Exit preparation. 

For 2018-19 and 2019-20, the Scottish Government will receive £92 million from the UK Government  as a consequence of EU Exit preparation  funding.

After the 2018 UK Government Spring Statement, it was announced that the Scottish Government would receive a proportionate share of £1.5 billion Brexit preparation funding allocated to UK Departments in each of the years 2018-19 and 2019-20. In 2018-19, the Scottish Government received £37.3 million in consequentials from this - £35.7 million resource, £1.6 million capital.

At the 2018 UK Budget, a further £500m of EU exit preparation funding was announced for 2019-20 in addition to the £1.5 billion already  announced by the Chancellor.  This means that in 2019-20 the Scottish Government will receive £54.7 million consequentials from the £2 billion  allocated to EU exit  preparation  funding  - £48.8 million resource, £5.9 million capital.

The 2018-19 consequentials  were announced  after the UK Budget.  The announcement  at the 2018 UK Budget of £54.7 million in consequentials for 2019-20 allowed for the amount to be included within the 2019-20 Scottish Budget and is fully absorbed in supporting work already underway,  including EU exit  preparation.

3.    Given the range and diversity of work ongoing across Government and its interaction with day-to-day responsibilities, it is simply not possible to provide a full breakdown of costs.

The £6.6m consequentials received in 2017-18 were used to support the 2018-19 Government priorities, including expenditure on EU exit-related work – this money is not separately identifiable.

Of the £37.3  million consequentials  for 2018-19,  £27 million (£26.6 million resource and £0.5m capital) was allocated to specific Brexit related activity in the Scottish Government and its agencies. The breakdown  by Portfolio is as  follows:

Portfolio	Amount  (£m)
Health  and Sport	2.1
Finance,  Economy & Fair Work	3.6
Education and Skills	0.4
Justice	0.7
Environment,  Climate Change & Land Reform	4
Rural Economy	9.2
Transport, Infrastructure &  Connectivity	0.9
Administration	4.8
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal	0.2
Scottish Courts and Tribunals  Service	0.1
Food Standards Scotland	0.9
Forestry Commission (Scotland)	0.1
Total	27

The remaining £10 million being spent by portfolios as part of the 2018-19 Scottish Budget.

All £54.7 million in EU Exit Consequentials for 2019-20 have been allocated to portfolios, which are responsible for managing their preparations  within their  total  budget.

4,-7.    The Scottish Government  does not receive funds from the UK Government  for  a specific purpose. All consequentials from EU Exit funding received to date have been allocated via the Scottish Budget. As per the table above, £27 million in consequentials from 2018-19 was allocated to portfolios for specific Brexit related activity. The remaining £10 million from 2018-19 and consequentials received in 2017-18 and 2019-20 are not separately identifiable.

 

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